overnment launched an ambitious campaign to convince women to join the war effort. Suddenly women were being called from their kitchens to work in the factories, being told that it was their patriotic duty. The famous “Rosie the Riveter” image arose from this movement. Rosie became a new image for women, being portrayed as strong, tough, and attractive. It was from this very image that the idea for the league was born. The league was the brainchild of Philip K. Wrigley, president of the Wrigley chewing gum company, and owner of the Chicago Cubs National League baseball team. Wrigley was concerned with the future of baseball. The major leagues had already lost more than half of their players to the military. The minor leagues were even harder hit. By the start of the 1943 season, more than 3,000 minor leaguers had joined the service or the war effort. Only nine of the nations 26 minor leagues had enough men left to play. Aside from this reason, there was concern over the continuation of baseball by several public figures, including President Roosevelt. It was thought that because of the long hours and demanding work of the war effort that it was important for the American people to have a way to blow off steam. In the fall of 1942, Wrigley assigned a three-man team from the Cubs organization to look into developing a professional baseball league for women. His theory was that if Rosie the Riveter could keep wartime factories going, maybe Rosie the Right Fielder could do the same for baseball. After receiving positive feedback for the idea of a women’s baseball league, Wrigley dispatched thirty of his baseball scouts to search the U.S. and Canada for top women ball players. When looking for players, scouts were instructed to look not only at ability and talent, but also for women with “high moral standing,” and femininity. Initial tryouts were held in a dozen major cities. In May ...
